The War Among Us
by soulofthelostisland
Summary: AU: Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in their seventh year at Hogwarts, and the war with Voldemort is still going strong. What happens when passion and tempers flare, and members of the Light begin to fight amongst themselves? Old friendships die, and new friendships are born out of the darkness. Will anyone come out of the War the same? **Ron is a right prat; eventual SSHG**
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The long stream of italics are previous/earlier events. It should be obvious when a character is thinking versus when we delve into a flashback scene. If this is confusing, please let me know, and I will try to reformat for better ease of reading. This is my first go at a fanfic, so please be gentle. (:**

The corridor was dimly lit as Hermione Granger flung herself into the dark, unyielding door of the potions' classroom. A soft, strangled cry burst from her lips as she placed her opened right hand and forehead against the cool wood, bringing up her clenched left fist to swat futility at the wall before slumping down altogether onto the stone floor. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her chest heaved with the exertion of keeping her sobs at bay whilst also propelling enough air into her lunges to still the dizziness that threatened to thrust her into unconsciousness.

 _How did this happen?_ she thought as her head lobbed side to side against the wall. Just moments before, before her blind, frantic sprint found her in the depths of the dungeons, Ron had been pressed up against her in the Astronomy Tower. Why she agreed to meet him there in the first place was beyond her, but she quickly realized her mistake.

Ron had been wanting to take their relationship to the next level, as he called it, since the pair had been going on and off for the better part of a year. He had told her that it was expected of girlfriends to put out for their boyfriends, to make them happy, even though Hermione had, on several occasions, said that she just didn't think her heart and her body were ready to go there with him. It all came to a head earlier that evening when she had received his note telling her that he wanted to meet up, to make things right after their heated row from this morning had left them both off kilter for the rest of the day.

 _When Hermione had first taken the piece of parchment from Parvati and Lavendar, she was furious that he would write her and have those two deliver it rather than come face her himself. If things were going to be off for them, for good this time, because of his stupid need to have sex with anything that had two legs that would open for him, well, she thought the bloody prat should have the decency to end things with her in person._

 _Hermione read his note once, then twice, before nodding to the two Gryffindors, confirming she'd be there. She and Ron had, after all, been friends since the middle of first year, and she felt it was up to her to ensure they stayed that way._

 _It was in honour of that friendship, of their Golden Trio, that she found herself walking up the stairs of the tower at exactly ten o'clock that night. Hermione had long been rehearsing her speech:_

Ronald, you and I have been through a lot. We've had a lot going on these last few years, and with the war looming, I understand your feeling that timing just isn't on our side. But I just can't go there with you, not yet. I'm not ready, you know I'm not, and I can't change my mind on this. I love you, and I always will; but maybe we are better suited as friends. We've been down this road too many times over the last year for us to smile and pretend everything's okay. It obviously isn't, and it's become apparent to me that I am not what you want and need from a girlfriend. I hate knowing that our relationship is ruining our friendship, so it's time, Ron. It's time to move on to other things, other people. It's not goodbye to our friendship, just goodbye to our failed go at being more than friends. We can go do different things with different people, and at the end of the day, it'll still be you, me, and Harry in the common room, me fretting about the pair of you and your lack of studying and you guys nagging about my library habits. We'll be okay.

 _But when she approached Ron and opened her mouth to speak, she realized that they weren't okay, nor would they ever be okay again._

 _Ron had grabbed her and pulled her into a rough kiss before she had time to inhale her breath. Her eyes were wide as she pushed with both hands against his chest, but he was relentless. His lips plowed against her mouth as one of his hands darted under her sapphire jumper, groping upwards. Hermione redoubled her efforts and managed to break their lip lock, and when she looked into her friend's flushed face, she was torn between rage and searing tears._

 _"Ronald!"_

" _What the fuck, Hermione?" his voice ringing through the inky darkness on the balcony._

" _I, you, what do you think-"_

" _What do you mean, 'what do I think?'; you came to me!" He paused and frowned, brow drawn and eyes narrowed. "Oh, I see. You agreed to come here to tease me again, did you?" Ron's face was bright red as he slowly walked towards Hermione, effectively backing her into the railing. "Think you're something special, little know-it-all. Did you think after what you said to Harry this morning that we could go back to what we were, that we could just come up here to chat or snog or what? I heard the two of you whispering as I was leaving the bloody common room!" He was seething, and not for the first time in her dealings with Ron, Hermione felt a wave of fear prickle in the pit of her stomach._

" _Ron, I meant to come up here to tell you that we can't—we can't go on like this!" Her voice had risen from her usual cool tone to a shrill pitch that betrayed her nerves at their situation. Seeing Ron's eyes narrow and his fist clench by his side, she continued. "I, I know you love me, Ron, and I know you want to, you know, but-"_

" _But what, Hermione?" he shouted. "Don't give me that same shit excuse that you're not ready. We've been dating for months. You're more than fucking ready! You just want it with Harry bloody Potter, huh? Have the two of you been shagging this whole time?" Hermione tried to speak, to protest, but in his delusional jealousy, he would have none of it. "Stupid girl, you're_ my _bloody girlfriend." With that, he pressed his body into hers once more, pinning her with his arms on either side of her, gripping the rail._

 _She tried in vain throw up her hands to push at his chest, his shoulders, anywhere she could reach, but she wasn't as physically strong as he was. She huffed and felt the known sting of tears in her eyes, but in that moment, she knew she wouldn't shed them. Not yet. She knew she had to get out of his grasp and away from him before he did something worse that they would both regret immensely._

 _As Ron aggressively attacked her neck with sloppy, forceful kisses, Hermione's brain kicked into overdrive. She knew she couldn't best him in a physical battle of force without access to her wand, which was currently digging into her side from the holster on her arm that was also digging into her side due to the nature of being pinned. She also knew that, even though she was afraid and Ron was being a right bastard, she couldn't cause him permanent harm. So Hermione decided that the best course of action was to get her arms free enough to palm her wand and stun her former friend._

 _A thousand thoughts darted through her mind before she settled on playing up Ron's need for physical release. Her brain immediately declared that distraction was the best policy in this case, and so Hermione quickly tried to relax her body against Ron's. Soft moans and gasps began to force their way from her lips, and at that, Ron jerked his head up to look into her face with a small grin, his weight still forcefully holding her in place. She looked him in the eyes and slowly licked her lips, trying for a sultry look that she knew would fool no one but the red head before her. Her brain noted that his hardness pressed even further into her pelvis at the gesture, so she dared to speak._

" _You're right, Ron. I am ready. I'm so stupid for not realizing how much I need you. I'm so, so sorry." His eyes were hooded as he continued to stare at her, judging her sincerity. "Please. I need, I_ want _, this."_

 _Taking her at her word, his lips crashed into hers once more, and Hermione had to bite back the bile that burned her throat as she kissed him back, willing him to forget his need to hold her still. Slowly, agonizingly slowly in the worst way, Ron moved his hands to trail up her arms and over her shoulders to grip her hair and press her even closer. Hermione forced a believable moan as he broke the kiss to suck on her neck. She knew she needed to get some distance between their bodies, quickly, in order for her to get her wand and get the hell out of there._

" _You have,_ ah _, too many clothes,_ oooh _, on!" she managed to breathe out. That was all the encouragement the hormonal teen needed to push off of her and begin attacking his belt to release himself. Hermione seized advantage of the small space between them, and in an instant, she had grabbed her wand and whispered a quick_ Stupefy _. Ron hit the ground with an eerily loud thump, as Hermione tore off down the stairs and through the castle._


	2. Chapter 2

Severus Snape had been making his rounds and taking house points from errant students, though with much less enthusiasm than he usually possessed. He had had another brief meeting with the Dark Lord earlier that evening, which left him exhausted and subdued. He was thankful to not have been on the receiving end of one of His curses, but it was always difficult to watch the younger members of the Inner Circle being tortured. Severus held no particular fondness in his heart for the young Death Eaters, but at the same time, he felt like he was responsible for their torment, as he couldn't keep them from this path of hatred and chaos and pain.

Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were two of five who had displeased the Dark Lord this night, failing to bring news on Harry Potter and his group of troublesome companions. It was rumoured among the Inner Circle that Potter was doing Dumbledore's bidding, but none knew for certain what exactly that work entailed. Even Snape himself didn't know what the Gryffindor brats were up to, but that suited him just fine.

In their seventh year, the Golden Trio had been even more of a nuisance than in years previous. They'd been spending more and more time at 12 Grimmauld Place, and Dumbledore had actually had them inducted into the Order of the Phoenix, which meant that Severus had the displeasure of seeing their arrogant, snotty little faces both inside and outside of the classroom. _I can't get a bloody break from the bloody fools_ , he thought wearily, recalling the last order meeting of the summer in which he had been forced to sit next to the Granger chit.

 _He had arrived at head quarters on time for the meeting, but it seemed as though everyone else had been decidedly early. He walked through the dark entryway and turned into the kitchen, where he was greeted with the noise of silverware scratching painfully on dinnerware and the general pre-meeting chitchat that caused the already surly professor to bristle. If he had to narrow down the list of things he disliked the most, idle chitchat would be somewhere near the top._

" _Ah, Severus, my boy, nice of you to join us. Please, take a seat, and we shall begin." Albus Dumbledore smiled and gestured his polite command from his place at the far end of the rectangular table. Seated to his right was Minerva McGonagall; on his left was the only remaining chair, which happened to be next to her. Hermione Granger. Bane of his existence, or so he tried to make everyone believe, himself included. If he were honest with himself, however, he would admit that he tolerated her well enough. Okay, maybe he even enjoyed her company, a little anyway._

 _He valued her mind, her Gryffindor sensibilities aside. She had long proven an asset to the Order, if only for her uncanny ability to keep the other two members of the Golden Trio alive and almost on top of their studies. Severus was loath to admit that his job of protecting Potter was marginally easier due to her bossy, know-it-all tendencies. Those qualities were severely lacking in Potter and Weasley, both of whom seemed to need a constant mother-figure, and the girl seemed to determine in her first year that she would try her hardest to keep the two dunderheads in line, even if that line was slightly crooked. He would never speak of it out loud, but it often irked him how blind the two young idiots by her side were when it came to the woman he was slowly approaching._

 _As he took his seat between the headmaster and Miss Granger, he allowed himself a quick survey of her person. He noted that she was wearing a loose muggle V-necked t-shirt in a coral colour that accentuated the light tan of her summer skin. Her thick hair was wound up into a knot on the top of her head, messy but not completely disheveled, with a few curling tendrils falling around her delicate face. If Severus ever thought about anyone in that way, he definitely would have thought she was beautiful; he was not a man that allowed himself to make those kind of base analyses, however. His life depended on keen observation of facts, not observation of his personal fancy, which tended to get him into trouble._

 _He quickly tore his eyes away from the small woman on his left and focused his attention on the conversations being held around him as the other members of the Order finished their dinners. Severus folded his arms across his chest and glared at each person in turn, as was customary. He couldn't say he truly hated these people, but as a man who could safely say that he didn't really have a legitimate friend in the world, he could concede that he disliked most of this lot. He was drawn from his musing and glaring when he heard Albus call everyone's attention to officially begin the meeting._

" _We were able to intercede and stop the attack that occurred two days ago on muggle orphanage, but I'm afraid that Tom will only redouble his efforts to cause unrest. He's tempting us, trying to draw us out, and we must be extra cautious as we proceed." At that, Albus shot a look at Potter and his two friends, smiling solemnly before continuing. "We know that Tom is getting anxious, and we know that more of our students have taken the Dark Mark. Harry, Ron, Hermione, it is of the upmost importance that you three stick together and maintain constant vigilance."_

 _Potter nodded in acquiescence, looking first at Dumbledore then at his friends. Severus watched this little exchange with indifference, until he noticed the Weasley brat slide his hand onto Miss Granger's thigh under the table. His stomach recoiled at the sight, and he lost his train of thought for a moment. He was quickly called back to it, however, when someone asked him what news he brought from his latest meeting with the Dark Lord. He darted a subtle glance back at the sight of Weasley possessively rubbing Miss Granger's upper thigh, before clearing his throat and proceeding with his tale._

" _The Dark Lord has enlisted Mr. Malfoy, Miss Parkinson, Miss Bulstrode, Mr. Zabini, and Mr. Nott to gather information on Mr. Potter. He is aware that the Golden Trio is up to something," Severus snarled at the three students. "But he hasn't a clue about what that something is. I would advise staying clear of those five students, as we all know how well you manage to hold your temper and avoid trouble, Mr. Potter." Harry squinted his eyes at his professor, while Severus merely raised an eyebrow at him. He knew it was petty of him to stir the proverbial cauldron and ruffle Potter's feathers at an Order meeting, but Severus was a man who enjoyed the small pleasures that life so rarely had to offer him._

 _After his news, the meeting went by rather quickly, with Severus continuing to sneak in glances at the Granger girl. He was once again thankful for his long fan of hair, perfect for subtle, close-range spying. Over the past summer, he and Granger had developed the closest thing to friendship that Severus had experienced since he took up with Lucius Malfoy. He wouldn't allow himself to go so far as to call the girl his friend, considering how well the few friendships he had previously experienced turned out for him. He long ago decided it was always better for him to keep his distance, to not allow his softer side to accept the fact that he did enjoy speaking with Miss Granger._

 _She was, after all, one of the few people who could keep up with the professor, whether discussing potions theory, debating Dark Arts tactics, or simply arguing for the hell of it. The bright-eyed and bushy-haired child that possessed a natural fear of him in her first year had turned into a bright-eyed and slightly less bushy-haired woman who, to Severus's great confusion and initial distress, was no longer cowed by his snarky demeanor or callous words. In fact, Severus was of the opinion that the insufferable girl actually took pleasure in riling him up. He had to admit, the chit gave as good as she got, and even after a particularly bad confrontation, Miss Granger seemed to get over it and move on without holding it over his head._

 _That had surprised Severus the most in his dealings with her. Usually, Severus could tear someone to shreds and have them running for the hills with their tails between their legs, and he wouldn't have to deal with them again in that capacity. Several members of the Order were on those kinds of terms with him, actually. Few people wanted to deal with Severus directly, and it seemed that Hermione Granger was counted among those that didn't mind speaking with him, or even at him, as she was also prone to do when she declared he was being unreasonable. Though even when he was, admittedly, flustered and unreasonable, she would say her piece and walk away, but she always came back later, as if the exchange had never happened. No one ever walked away from him and came back, much less came back happy to move on._

Severus had made his way back down to the relative safety of his dungeons without encountering too many students out of bed. As he rounded the corner and proceeded down towards his office to head into his personal quarters, he froze. On down the corridor in front of his classroom, a body was slumped over against the door. Severus immediately felt his heart in his ears, and he quickly cast a silencing charm on his person in order to get a closer look without alerting anyone in the general vicinity. If there had been an attack and the perpetrators were still down here, it wouldn't do to alert them with the clacking of his boots on the stone.

He silently slipped into the shadows and continued walking towards the potions classroom, wand at the ready. He listened for other students, but the only sounds coming from the halls emanated from the small figure gasping for breath on the ground. As Severus drew closer, he realized he recognized the disheveled head of frizz atop the fragile form, and his breath caught in his chest.

Seemingly without extra thought, he lifted the silencing spell on his shoes so as not to frighten the girl further. His pace increased to a brisker walk, as Severus Snape was not prone to running, and then he was by her side. The girl didn't even register his presence until he spoke.

Quickly taking stock of the witch and noting the apparent lack of blood or wounds but the heavy presence of tears, he addressed her. "Miss Granger," his velvety voice hissed, and her face shot up to gaze into his, her eyes wide and bright from crying. "Have you, or have you not, _lost your bloody mind?"_ With that, he reached down to snatch her up by her arm and propel her forward, toward his office and then inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione was startled when she heard the strained voice of her potions professor. Her eyes shot up to meet his, and she immediately felt relieved. In her haste to get away from Ron, she ran blindly through the castle, but once her feet had stopped in front of his classroom, she knew somewhere in her subconscious that this was where she felt safe. She felt safe brewing, and she felt safe with him.

Of course, that feeling of safety started to turn into a feeling of dread now that she thought about it, as he drug her willing body into his office. She was too physically and emotionally drained to put up a fight, and she had obviously come down here to find him. Hermione could feel the tension in his body radiating off of him in waves as he let go of her arm and swung around to close the heavy door, effectively shutting them in and any prying eyes out. Severus paused a moment still facing the door before he inhaled a deep breath and turned back to her.

"You did not answer my question, Miss Granger," he drawled as he took her in. The tears had stopped falling from her large brown eyes, but her face was red and splotchy. Her hair was frizzed out around her face, a tangled mess of raw umber and honey curls. The bulky blue jumper she wore did nothing to hide the angry red marks that begun at the base of her throat and continued up her slender neck to just behind her left ear.

"I, uhm, what question, sir?" She chewed on her bottom lip as she watched her professor watching her, criticizing her, as if he knew what had happened just by looking at her. She watched his expression as his eyes grew wide and his fist clenched at his sides.

"I asked, Miss Granger, if the brightest witch of her age had LOST HER MIND." Severus scowled, trying to rein in his temper. He had a pretty good idea why the girl had been crying, surely something to do with that ridiculous red head she was supposedly dating.

Hermione tried to sputter out a response, but Severus waved a dismissive hand and continued. "You were at the Order meeting when I specifically told _Potter_ that Mr. Malfoy and company had been given orders, from the Dark Lord no less, to collect information on the Golden little Trio, yes? So what, pray tell, compelled you to travel down into the heart of Slytherin, alone, to sit at my door after curfew, you foolish little girl?"

The pair was facing off, Severus a mere three feet from her, and he heard her sharp intake of breath. Hermione's eyes were downcast, so different from her normal stance when confronting her teacher these days. That in and of itself worried Severus. Under normal circumstances, the witch would bristle at being called foolish or little girl, and yet she remained silent, her shoulders hunched as she studied her shoes. Tentatively, Severus took another step forward. He saw that her long lashes were once again wet with silent tears, and he felt like he had been kicked in the gut.

"Granger, look at me."

She lifted her face to his. "I didn't think."

"Obviously," he drawled, masking the unusual feelings of concern her currently felt. "Tell me what happened."

At that, her eyes bugged out a bit, and Hermione once again took her lip in between her white teeth. _She's nervous_ , he thought. _Why—_

"Someone should go to the Astronomy Tower. I didn't think when I left him there! I didn't think—" Her breath hitched and she brought a delicate hand up to cover her mouth, stifling her cry.

"What are you on about, Miss Granger?"

"Ronald! I left Ron stunned on the balcony of the Astronomy Tower! I knew my stunner would wear off, but I didn't think about Malfoy or Zabini finding him. Oh, gods. Professor, you have to go to him! What if they found him?" Hermione was now pacing frantically, eyes wild, in front of the large wooden desk. She hadn't thought much about leaving Ron's sorry arse unconscious on the ground, but now she felt a wave of panic rush over her. _What if something awful's happened? What if they found him, if they drug him off to Voldemort?_ Once again, a loud sob racked her body, and Severus found himself stepping in front of her and clasping her upper arms in his strong hands.

"Explain," he demanded. Severus never had known how to handle a hysterical woman, and he didn't have time to waste. If the stupid girl had left her idiot friend unconscious and alone, the boy could potentially be in grave danger. _Just what I wanted, more bloody work to do_ , his thoughts grumbled as he gave the agitated witch a none-too-gentle shake.

That seemed to bring Hermione to her senses, or the majority of her senses anyway, and she briefly told him of her agreeing to meet Ron this evening, leaving out the details and simply referring as their altercation as a bad row. Severus listened and then gave a curt nod, knowing that there was more to this story than the witch let on. _There'll be time for that later_.

"Come," he barked before moving towards the back of the office. Severus was once again pulling her into the direction of a door, though not the one that led back out into the corridor. If her brain hadn't been muddled from exhaustion and her near panic at leaving Ron unprotected, Hermione would've realized that her professor had released his wards and was now leading her to the soft dark leather sofa in his personal living quarters.

"Sit. Do not touch anything, and _do not leave these chambers_. Am I clear, Miss Granger?"

Hermione sat down on the couch and nodded her affirmative. Severus began making his way back to the door they'd just entered before calling to her over his shoulder. "I shall return shortly, Miss Granger." And he was gone in a billow of black fabric, resetting his wards to ensure she was not disturbed. He made quick work of his floo call to Minerva, and then he was off to the Astronomy Tower, preparing for the worst.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This story is doesn't have a beta reader, so please feel free to tell me when you come across typos. I try to get them all when I proofread, but my brain thinks it's great fun to mentally autocorrect without telling me that I've messed it up on the page. I won't be offended if you catch my mistakes, I promise. As a grammar nut, I'd be honoured you paid enough attention to my little story to notice. I tend to enjoy fics that are written properly, so I want to do what I can to make sure I write something I myself would enjoy reading.**

 **Speaking of which, I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far! The first chapter came easily enough; the rest, not so much. I feel like it's lagging and a bit choppy, but it's all stuck up in my head, flowing like molasses through my fingers onto the keys of my Macbook. I have an idea of where I'm going with this, but honestly, it's all kind of changing as it comes out. The best laid plans of mice and men, yeah? Go figure.**

Severus made good time through the dungeons and up into the main part of the castle. Before long he was hastily, albeit silently, climbing his way up the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, wand in hand. He wasn't sure what to expect when he arrived onto the balcony, but he could only hope that he was the first to find the Weasley brat. He hated to think what he would tell the headmaster, much less Arthur and Molly, should the boy not be there. Severus could just imagine how that conversation would go over: _Yes, I regret to inform you that Miss Granger, having temporarily lost the better part of her mental faculties, left your son incapacitated in an isolated part of the castle, and upon further review, it appears as though Mr. Malfoy has delivered him to the greatest evil on this side of the century._

He winced at his loose train of thought. No, Severus didn't think he wanted to have that particular conversation, no matter how much he might have thought that the Golden Trio sans Ronald Weasley might be more tolerable, if only just. Still, turning the fiery red head over to the Dark Lord wasn't what he had in mind for the boy; the little snot had absolutely no occulemency shields to speak of, and just think what secrets he could reveal if his mind were plundered!

Shaking himself, he continued along out onto the balcony, keeping to the shadows, all the while trying to detect any sign of human presence in the vicinity. A silent gush of relief washed over him as he saw the ghastly, orange pullover-clad body lying sprawled out on the stone floor. Severus quickly cast another set of detection spells, and upon bringing no results save the one student, he threw off his concealment charms to approach the supine figure.

Severus was half a mind away as he ran a diagnostic spell over the boy, still looking around the open room for signs that someone other than Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger had been up here. When he turned his focus back to examine the results of his test, he barely registered the sounds of Minerva and Albus approaching, as well as the fact that the boy had not been physically harmed. His most prominent recognition was not centered on his diagnostic spell work at all, but rather on the simple fact that the front of Weasley's trousers was gaping open, revealing his Chudley Cannons print pants.

In that moment, Severus's wand arm dropped to his side, and he was faintly aware that if he didn't loosen his grip on the slender piece of ebony wood, he would surely snap it in two. Red and black spots threatened to steal his vision when Albus burst forth into the night air, closely followed by the deputy headmistress.

"Severus, I daresay, what happened here?"

The dark haired man stood still as stone, not hearing a word the headmaster spoke. It wasn't until Minerva moved to _rennervate_ Ron that Severus snapped out of his momentary shock and took on a stance that screamed _Murder is most definitely on my mind_. "What is the meaning of this?" he snapped as Minerva ran her own spells over her bright-faced Gryffindor cub.

"Well, my boy, seeing as we found you standing over a still unconscious Mr. Weasley, I was hoping you could help inform us of the events that transpired before we arrived." Albus was standing to the left of his potions Master looking at him intently as Minerva helped Ron to his feet. The teen blushed furiously as he tried to surreptitiously draw up his trousers, looking around for the witch that had drawn her wand on him.

"What did you do?" Severus ground out as he took a furious step towards Ron. Ron visibly paled but stood with his back a little straighter, trying to keep hold on what little dignity he felt he still possessed after being found passed out with his pants on display by his teacher.

"Me? What makes you think I did something?" he squealed back at his professor as he whirled around, searching for Hermione. "It was all her! Where is she, that cow? I can't believe this!"

Severus's eyes flashed in anger, but before he could speak, the headmaster stepped in. "Now, Mr. Weasley, let us start from the beginning, then. Who do you mean did this to you?"

"'Mione- _uh_ , Hermione was here, sir. She, _um_ , wanted to meet me up here, yeah, and then she got her knickers in a twist and stunned me!"

"That," Severus whispered in a deadly tone that most knew meant he was barely containing his anger, "is not the full scope of events, Mr. Weasley." Ron sucked in a breath to reply, but the Potions Master held up a hand. "Do _not_ lie to me, boy. Fifty points from Gryffindor-"

"Now, Severus," Minerva started. "You flooed and said that Hermione did leave Mr. Weasley here, did you not?" She was standing slightly in front of Ron's shoulder, protecting him from the obviously fuming dark-not-Dark wizard. Ron blinked rapidly, his brain working quickly to come up with a story, a good one, that would lessen his humiliation.

"Hermione did leave me here, honest, Professor!" was all he could come up with.

"Ah, but what were you doing that she needed to charm you with your trousers down, _Weasley_?" His flashing eyes belied Severus's soft voice as he spoke, teeth barred.

"Yes, yes, that is an interesting circumstance, indeed. Perhaps you would enlighten us, hmm?" Albus addressed him in a light tone, but something in the headmaster's blue eyes told Ron that he needed to tread very, very carefully. The greasy bat of the dungeons being angry was terrifying enough. An encounter with a livid Snape rarely ended well for Gryffindor and the poor sod who got him that way, but the presence of Dumbledore and his head of house usually helped one escape with his life and at least of few house points left. In that moment, however, the comfort that this angry Dumbledore brought to the mix was slime to none.

"You see, we are dating, and well, you know, we wanted some alone time." Ron cringed and found something interesting on his shoes. "We never get any time away from _Harry_ and my sister, so since I'm a prefect, she, _uh_ , rather I thought we could meet up here before rounds tonight, sir. It was nothing, really. We weren't actually _doing_ anything, sir."

Ron's attitude had come down several notches since awakening, and now the fire that he started with had sputtered out. Standing in the middle of three of his fiercest professors was a little nerve-wrecking to say the least, especially when one looked horrified, one looked knowing, and one looked homicidal. Ron found himself with an unpleasant mix of emotions roiling around inside him, most of all the dread at how stupid he'd been. _I'm an idiot_ , he thought to himself as he waited for someone, anyone, to speak.

"That you are, Mr. Weasley."

His head snapped up to meet Snape's eyes. "That I am what?" he asked, clearly confused, not expecting that to be the response to his confession of meeting Hermione after curfew.

"An idiot," Severus hissed, looking knowingly into the younger boy's blue eyes. Ron swallowed audibly, and looked away. "She trusted you." His breath was barely a whisper before he nodded in Albus's direction, leaving him and Minerva to deal with the urchin in front of him before Severus lost his slipping hold on his fury. There would be another time to berate the brat. For now, there was something, someone, who had need of his attentions. Once again turning in a wave of robes, he fled, this time to return to the broken woman he left on his couch.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I realize the way Severus handled the AT/Ron ordeal was not how many of you expected. Get used to that. I used to watch Big Brother, and the motto is "expect the unexpected" and, well, that stuck with me. Ron has NOT been punished YET, however, so no reason to get up in arms quite yet. That happens next chapter. *laughs and twists hands like mad scientist* I know it's taking forever, but I don't want to rush around to much here. Anyway, enough chatter.**

Several thoughts ran through his mind as Severus stalked back to his chambers. He was usually the master of his emotions, a stoic presence that sent first years scattering and set grown wizards to fidgeting, praying to Merlin and Circe and anyone else who'd listen that the dark wizard not turn his silent displeasure into something more sinister. Even in times of great stress, Severus wielded his mask of typical and general disdain to the outside world, and only under cover of darkness in his rooms, with his thoughts and a glass of Firewhiskey, did he allow that fearsome persona to fall to the floor with his cloak.

That is, that's what usually happened, before _her._

Seeing Ronald Weasley in the beginning stages of undress felt like drowning in a bucket of ice water. The heart in his chest that was slamming into his ribs with tremendous force threatened to burst right from its cage to bare itself to the night, and his lungs ripped and tore with each furious gasp for breath. His eyes had burned as his vision went red with the blood rushing around in his head, and his brain seemed to misfire as his thoughts were of one mind. _Her soft eyes had been full of tears when he'd reached her sitting against his door._

Severus wasn't sure when exactly he began to value the little witch's peace of mind, but he couldn't bring himself to deal with the boy just then, not until he knew that the brown eyed woman he left in his chambers was unharmed. He hadn't performed any kind of actual spell to tell him that she was sound, merely relying on the absence of apparent wounds to calm his nerves enough to chastise her carelessness. But upon the realization that that little fool could have hurt her in ways that wouldn't necessarily show, he had to know what precisely had happened and what precisely he'd left stewing in his rooms. Then, and only then, would he allow himself to kill Ronald bloody Weasley.

He walked through his office and unwarded the door to his personal quarters before slipping quietly through into his living area. He didn't bother rewarding, fully expecting Albus or Minerva to come rescue their prized Gryffindor Princess any moment. The fireplace in his office was connected to the floo network, but the one in his quarters was most definitely not, for the headmaster and one Lucius Malfoy had ruined that idea for him, _the nosy busybodies_.

As he came around to the front of the sofa, he sucked in a breath as the scene before him reminded him of the first time he had been alone with Hermione Granger at headquarters.

 _Severus arrived early to 12 Grimmauld Place, knowing that an Order meeting was to be held later that evening. Meetings of the Order of the Phoenix had been more frequent here lately, with Voldemort scrambling to get ahead for fear that Harry Potter would continue to grow stronger once he graduated Hogwarts. He was a very insecure Dark leader, that one._

 _Realizing he had a good half an hour to kill before his presence would be required, he slipped up the stairs and made his way into the small drawing room-turned-library. Severus was hoping to get some reading done and catch up on a few Potions journals now that Hogwarts had let out for summer holiday, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw the form of Hermione Granger lying across the sofa on the other side of the room._

 _Her hair was wild around her sleep-relaxed face, and she was clad in a Muggle tank top, her feet bare with silver polished toes poking out beneath the hem of her jeans._ _Her clothing was wrinkled and twisted, and Severus thought that, in that moment, she looked nothing like the fierce witch he'd seen this woman grown into. Her sleeping form more closely resembled the child he met six years ago as a first year, the bushy-haired young witch who smiled more than she frowned, who bossed Potter and Weasley and anyone else who'd listen because she could, not because their lives depended on it. This vision was at odds with the self-possessed eighteen-year-old witch who already had the beginnings of lines on her delicate face that would be tangible proof of the stress she had endured in the last few years of her childhood._

 _Lost in his musings, Severus hadn't realized that he had been walking further into the room until his knee bumped a side table, causing the object of his thoughts to stir._

 _"Professor?" she asked in a drowsy voice as she brought her hand up to rub at her eyes._

 _"I am sorry to disturb you, Miss Granger. I came up here to read, and I hadn't realized this room was occupied. I'll leave you to it." He scowled._ I can't believe I was caught ogling! _he thought as he whipped around to flee the room and, consequently, the disheveled woman who was picking the knots from her curls while staring at him in anticipation._

 _"No! No, it's all right, Professor. I hadn't meant to fall asleep, but I'm up now. Please, stay. I promise I won't bother you, sir." Hermione was looking at him with wide brown eyes, waiting to see if he would stay or if he would verbally berated her for suggesting it. To her amusement, Severus gave a jerky nod of his head and made his way to one of the wing-backed armchairs that sat across from the sofa near the fireplace. That insignificant gesture was the white flag that set them on the path to what they would become, as the pair read in silence until Molly Weasley called through the house instructing everyone to gather in the kitchen._

The last time Severus had happened upon this sleeping woman, she had been the picture of perfect repose. This time was slightly different, however. Her hair still fanned wildly around her face, and those same toes, now painted deep red, peeked out under her jeans from where her legs were gathered close to her body in a loose fetal position. Her jumper was crumpled and twisted, just as her tank top had been not so long ago, and yet she looked so different.

Her face, which had seemed so tranquil while she slept that afternoon in the library back in June, was now twisted into a grimace. The places around her eyes and cheeks were red and puffy, no doubt from all of her crying, and her mouth was turned down into a small frown. Looking at her now, Severus noticed that she looked nothing like the little girl he once knew but every bit the young woman she had become, a manifestation of stress and harsh realities, a girl whose childhood was stolen from her the moment she crossed the Black Lake.

Severus didn't want to wake her, instinctively knowing that she hadn't been getting much sleep recently, if the dark circles under her eyes that he'd noticed in class the past few weeks were any indication, but somewhere in the castle, Ronald Weasley was being rebuked by his colleagues, and he was itching to get his hands on the boy and give him a real reason to fear the bat of the dungeons.

Hermione was curled up with her back pressed against the back of the couch, her arms protectively up around her head. All of a sudden, Severus wasn't sure how to wake her. He knew he didn't want to frighten her further, but he also wasn't positive how to go about achieving that. If he shook her shoulder, he'd have to touch her, and that would definitely not be appropriate. If he called her name, she could panic and that would make things worse. He looked her over once more before settling on the second option. _Sod it_ , he thought to himself as he stood over her.

"Miss Granger."

Upon hearing her name, Hermione shot up like a rocket, wand in hand. Her chest heaved and her shoulders shook, but her wand arm was steady as it held the length of vine wood against her professor's throat. Her eyes were wild as she took in her surroundings before she remembered she was in Professor Snape's quarters. _Professor Snape's quarters? Odd, that._ she thought as she focused her attention on the silent figure at the end of her wand. _Shite!_

Severus was shocked and slightly in awe of the speed at which the witch moved. He knew he was quick to draw his wand, but the girl before him was like lightning, obviously terrified out of her mind, but fast nevertheless. _At least she caught herself before she cast_ , he mumbled to himself as he raised a dark eyebrow at her. She made eye contact, and he heard her swallow audibly before she dropped her wand and burst into tears. _Sweet Merlin_ , he swore in his head, rolling his eyes.

Hermione had flopped back onto the leather sofa and held her face in her hands, letting her tears pool in her palms. She wasn't sure why her body kept the tears flowing, but she assumed it was an odd combination of exhaustion and stress, with a healthy dash of mortification at shoving her wand into her teacher's face. _No matter. I'll be dead in a moment anyway_. She gritted her teeth against her sobs and looked up to meet her professor's eyes.

Severus was staring down at her, feeling exceptionally awkward and unsure of what to do with his hands. He itched to reach out to her, but providing comfort of any kind, much less _physical_ comfort, was not on the list of things he was good at. He was just about to speak, when the object of his attentions cleared her throat.

"I apologize, Professor. You startled me," she explained, hoping that the dark man glaring down at her would understand her physical outburst. Her voice was quiet but didn't waver.

"Of course, Miss Granger. I expected such a reaction. Do not worry yourself." Severus was looking at her so intensely that Hermione ducked her head, casting her eyes on the floor.

"Was he- did you find him, sir?"

"I did," he replied shortly, his voice equally quiet.

Her eyes shot back up to his, brown meeting black. "He told you what happened," she stated, guessing by the dangerous look in her professor's eyes that he knew she had met Ron and that more went down than just screaming and yelling.

"In not so many words, Miss Granger, but his offensive orange pants gave your little secret away." Severus saw her flinch, but she looked away, saying nothing. "Left out a bit of information earlier, didn't you?" he purred.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as a single tear trailed down her cheek.

All of the anger temporarily left him as he looked at the defeated girl in front of him. Without thinking, he moved to sit on the coffee table, his knees bumping hers. "Tell me now, Hermione. What happened in the Astronomy Tower?"

Hermione was shocked, not only by her professor's close proximity, but also by the gentleness in his request. When she looked at his face, his dark eyes were soft and, if she didn't know better, almost understanding.

She found herself telling him of how Ron and she had fought that morning and how he had Lavendar and Parvati deliver the note that led her to him that night. She told him of Ron's hurtful words from that night and the many other times he'd tried to convince her to take their relationship to a different place. She choked on her sobs as she told him how Ron pinned her against the rail overlooking the Transfiguration Courtyard, and she told him how she wasn't sure Ron would have stopped had she not acted.

His mind, his instincts, and his heart were at war: one telling him to forget everything and go maim the blasted red head; the other screamed for him to get far away from this current situation and find Minerva to deal with the girl, then to go seriously injure the red head; the last coaxed him to forget everything except the young woman in front of him and to do whatever he had to do to take her pain away. It was only an instant before his heart, his terribly foolish, guarded heart, won out, and Severus found himself moving from his perch on the table to sit by her side, putting his arm around her as she automatically snuggled into him, her head under his chin.

Hermione welcomed the comfort of her trusted professor's strong arms encircling her, and she sighed into him, her sobs turning into small hiccups. "I didn't realize I was in the dungeons until I was here," she whispered. "I knew I didn't want to face Harry and Gin, but I didn't know where I was going until I fell into your door." Her face was nuzzled into the spot where Severus's neck met his shoulder, effectively hiding her from his view.

"Oh, child," he started, his voice barely audible.

Hermione petulantly swiped at her eyes, before raising her bright eyes to meet his.

"I'm not a child."

He sighed. "I know."


End file.
